Genbu

Genbu (玄武, Genbu), also known as the "Black Warrior" was the first of the The Four Saint Beasts. He is sometimes called The Stone Beast. He is voiced by Yutaka Shimaka in the Japanese version and Chris Forbis in the English dub.

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Interestingly enough unlike the previously shown demons, Genbu is a beast made literally of stone and an amalgamation of several beasts: with a large shell covering his whole back like a tortoise, his arms positioned in a knuckle walk position like an ape, clawed toes like a dinosaur, the segmented tail of a snake and the spiked, tusked primitive face of an ogre with large white eyes with small black pupils, a common feature for major demons in the first arc. His underbelly, though, is soft and has the appearance of abdominal muscles.

Genbu, fitting with his appearance, isn't as smart as the rest of the Saint Beasts. He greatly underestimated his opponent and died because he made his weakness so obvious. He was also rather eager to fight, and used tricks to lure Yusuke's team into his battlefield. In the original Japanese version, he also views highly of himself, calling himself Genbu-Sama or "Ore-sama" which both mean Lord Genbu and Lord Me, despite the fact that is merely the deliverer of messages of the Four Saint Beasts to their minions outside the barrier, a fact his fellow teammate Byakko notes is the only reason that they even stand him and would've killed him themselves for his idiocy and ego. He is portrayed as being much stupider in the anime, as in the manga when his core disappeared, he showed shock and became greatly worried, while in the anime, he didn't even know what his core was, and only became worried after Kurama explained it was his heart.

After Yusuke and his friends invade Maze Castle, Genbu is the first to approach them. Rather than let the others fight, Kurama steps into battle. For the first time, Kurama uses the rose whip. Kuwabara, still shocked at Genbu's appearance, greatly underestimates Kurama's strength, only to be corrected by Hiei.

Undignified last moments

Genbu attempts to hide by merging with the rock in his lair, but the rose petals scattered by Kurama's whip helps to reveal Genbu's foul odor. With a single strike, Kurama destroys Genbu's body. He reforms, only to split apart and fire each body part as a projectile. Kurama, sensing energy radiation, finds a glowing stone in the midst of the barrage. Upon taking hold of it, Genbu reforms with several of his limbs improperly placed (most noticeably his head placed in between his legs). The stone was his core/heart that allowed him to reform himself properly. With one strike bisecting the stone, Genbu dies.

Genbu is able to control his body, being able to merge it with other stone, split apart his body and reform it at will, which puts him above most D Class demons as he is able to have multiple uses of this technique and would've likely been a C Class demon like the rest of his group, if not for his habit of repeating attacks until they are exploited and not learn from these mistakes, which prove to be his downfall.

Exploding Boulder Bomb (爆裂岩衝弾, Bakuretsu Ganshō Dan): Genbu's only known technique, when his body is separated, he can shoot his individual parts in a projectile like movement, hitting the opponent with those parts; even if those parts are diced, it means more projectiles to hit the opponent and finally the parts reform the main body which separates and starts over again. However, one piece radiates energy and acts as something similar to the hypothalamus in the brain, controlling the reforming process. Should this not be included, he reforms incorrectly. If it is destroyed, his body explodes. Never given a name in the English dub.

In the final opening of the series, multiple Genbus appear as generic enemies that are sliced by the protagonists.

Genbu is the animal deity Zuanwu that guards the north. It took the form of a half-tortoise, half-snake creature. It is good luck to have hills to the north of one's house, so that Genbu may dwell there. Genbu was also the symbol of the rear guard in armies long ago, and they would carry a flag bearing its image.